This invention is directed to sail powered vehicles, in particular to a windsurfer for boardsailing, particularly a windsurfer rigged with a double boom, to permit the participation of a child in the sailing of a windsurfer, and to a sail adapted therefor.
Said propulsion is used both on water, on ice and on land as a means of propulsion, being usually practiced as a form of sport.
Boardsailing on windsurfers in particular has become a widely practiced sport, enjoying broad public support. However, in the case of most children a major problem has existed, in teaching the sport to a child in a safe and yet realistic manner. The use of land-based simulators is well known. However, these do not cater to the instinctive requirement of most youngsters to "get wet", and participate fully and immediately in the sport. Furthermore, these simulators do not have the feel of a surfboard, and the possibility of an injurious fall is always present.
Junior boards also are well known, namely smaller size windsurfers designed specifically for use by children. Such boards are satisfactory per se, but they do not approach the essential problems of safety, and of uphauling the spar and sail out of the water, which normally is a total impossibility for a young child to accomplish. Also, the requisite degree of control by a parent or instructor cannot be exercised, as the only effective means of communication is verbal, and the environmental background noises and other distractions often render verbal instructions quite ineffective in a high speed, potentially hazardous situation where conditions and situations can change very rapidly. Further, the exercise of direct physical control, which is very necessary in the case of a very young child, is totally precluded.
The eagerness of children to directly participate in board sailing often leads to them being carried as deck passengers on the windsurfer, which rules out the opportunity to experience the feel of handling the board, and which can present an inconvenience and impediment to the sailor as well as significantly change the handling characteristics of the board.
The present invention thus provides, in a wind propelled apparatus comprising body means adapted to support a plurality of users, a main spar secured by a pivotal joint to the body means, a sail and rigging therefor attached to the main spar, a master boom secured at the ends thereof and extending about the sail for use by a person of normal height, the improvement comprising a small size JUNIOR boom secured by the ends thereof and extending beneath the master boom and on both sides of the sail, to permit participatory use of the apparatus by an additional, smaller person. This arrangement normally permits of a range of height adjustment in accordance with the size of the child using the device.
There is further provided a sail having a first eyelet positioned for the attachment of a first boom thereto, and a second eyelet spaced therefrom for the attachment of a second boom thereto.
There is further provided sail window means located at a height commensurate with the JUNIOR boom, for use by the smaller person.
A further embodiment comprises a boom having a power appropriate to the occasion.